Apple’s iPhone 16 could get a major OLED upgrade next year, and it may have Samsung to thank for it.
Samsung subsidiary Samsung Display is working on a new OLED material set called M14 to bring to iPhone 16 models, according to a report from The Elec (via MacRumors). The set, which is a series of components used to build an OLED screen, will replace blue fluorescent technology with blue phosphorescence technology, creating a more power-efficient screen, according to The Elec, citing a research report from Ubi Research analyst Daejeong Yoon.
Yoon added that Samsung had hoped to bring the technology to foldable phones, but found that too difficult and instead focused on standard handsets.
Samsung Display has produced the OLED screens for Apple phones for years — in fact, it currently supplies the displays for the iPhone 15 lineup. Rumors have been swirling for years that Apple is trying to move away from its rival as the supplier of its smartphone panels. Instead, Apple could turn to microLED displays in future iPhones. Apple, of course, hasn’t commented on such plans and it’s unclear when, or even if, that could happen.
Regardless, the iPhone 16’s screen has been the subject of considerable interest over the past several months. Apple is rumored to be mulling larger screen sizes in the iPhone 16, with an iPhone 16 Pro Max featuring a 6.9-inch display, compared to a 6.7-inch screen in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Additionally, Apple is said to be adding a new micro-lens technology to the handset’s screen to increase brightness.
Brighter screens can be a draw on power, which might explain why Apple would be interested in a technology that makes displays more power-efficient. All four iPhone 15 models out-performed the average smartphone in the Tom’s Guide battery test, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus in particular landing spots on our best phone battery life list. You’d expect Apple would want future iPhone models to last just as long on a charge.
True to Apple form, the company hasn’t confirmed any of the rumors. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning out reports about the new chipsets and improved cameras reportedly in development for the iPhone 16 lineup. A Capture button that triggers the phone’s camera could also be in the works, and the iPhone 16 Pro might adopt the tetraprism zoom lens that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro Max this past fall. A high-end iPhone 16 Ultra model may be in the works, too.
With several months to go before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16, plenty more rumors will surely funnel in. Just don’t expect Apple to say anything about them.
